Looting & Brandishing in Haiti

I wonder if anyone is annoyed at the rampant use of “looting” by the media in regards to the earthquake aftermath in Haiti. I watched either CNN or MSNBC last week, and they made a interesting point that in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, media outlets referred to white people as foraging or finding food and to black people as looting or stealing. I think it is interesting that now in Haiti, which is predominantly black, the term “looting” is the only word we are hearing/seeing.

Do these reporters, editors and the like stop to consider that most likely, this so-called looting is not for the sake of stealing, but rather out of desperation for sustenance and survival? These are people who had shitty conditions before this earthquake; now, they have even less, if anything at all. The international aid has had its issues (still) getting outside of the small airport and port and to the people in the most desperate need. If I were in the position of these people, I probably would be rushing vehicles with people who are giving out food, and perhaps would take what I need from stores, etc. I think we should get past the semantics and focus on the reality of the situation: everyone who was there at the time of the earthquake; be them black, white, followers of Christianity or Voodoo, French speaking or English, are trying to survive.  For those who do not have the money and resources to get out of Haiti, the situation is worse. For those who do not have immediate access to food and water, the situation is critical. And there should not be the negative connotation of looting when what’s being taken is food, water, and survival items.

On another note – the comments about gangs of young men roaming the streets brandishing machetes should be put into context. If this country is a culture whose citizens begin using machetes at a young age, as I know is common in other countries such as Costa Rica (as I have seen firsthand a 5 year old ‘brandish’ a machete for his chores more expertly than I ever could), then this comment is ridiculous. Is there proof that these men are using machetes in a menacing way to harm others or are they using them in case the need for protection in an increasingly tense situation?

I think there are a lot of assumptions being made about this situation that may not be true. And I think, if anything, we owe these people who are just at the beginning of this horrible state of affairs the decency to report the facts, and not assumptions based (however subtly) on race, economics, and a culture we are largely unfamiliar with.

What is the Deal with the Media?

          Every time there is a natural disaster, I notice that the media groups are usually first on scene. And to a point, that is expected. However, it does beg the question – how does NBC, ABC, CNN and the like get to devastated areas such as Haiti, when international aid groups are having difficulty getting there due to damage at the airport? I do know some have flown into the Dominican Republic and have driven over to Haiti, but how do all these news correspondents get there so soon?

          My second inquiry is involving their presence in these places. I know they are “news” people whose job it is to bring us the news. However, my feeling is that if you are going to be the first people down to a place like this, why not chip in and try to help these people who have just lost everything, instead of focusing on getting a better story than the other news channels? Perhaps they do help, but they do not portray that to the viewers, and frankly, it pisses me off. How would they like it if something on the scale of what has occurred in Haiti occurred where they live and then news people came in to give the story but without seemingly to care about the people? And if they are actually helping in their time off between news takes, then express that to the viewers so that we don’t get the impression that all these correspondents are there for one reason – ratings.

Fear and Flying

            In light of the newly alighted issue of terrorism (which really is an issue that actually was lit once and hasn’t gone out since), I have a question. Does anyone else get tired of hearing about it? I don’t mean that in a horrible, callous, or indifferent way, it is just that it has taken over the media. Yes, it is a current topic and world issue, but I feel like it is all that is talked about these days. Well, when the recession and Afghanistan and Iraq aren’t being discussed. I am not trying to argue that all are not valid topics or that they are not affecting our country. My point is that sometimes it’s discussed ad nauseam and many times with the tone of fear and panic. The media, in whichever of its outlets, is the bearer of news, good or bad, to the general public. When they create all this hype around a story that they do not have all the facts on (i.e. breaking news/developing story), it creates a sense of fear.

     Surely, people will not admit that they get scared every time a news story breaks regarding terror, such as the “Christmas Day Terror” or “Flight 253 Terror,” and the more recent lockdown of Terminal C at Newark International Airport yesterday. However, each of these stories is sure to at least subtly keep the culture of fear present and active in this country. Sure, it is much less safe to fly these days than it was 15 years ago. That probably goes for driving as well, even if not for the same reasons. While I do not think we should sit and let people attack us, I do think that we civilians should have some confidence in the people charged with protecting us (i.e. TSA) to do their jobs. Frankly, I still think flying is safer than driving, even with the rise in terrorist activities. I think that there are procedures in place to help protect our public, but they can only be taken to a certain degree. If the US said “Hey, if you want to fly, you need to understand that you will be screened to the fullest degree (virtual body search),” there will be a huge backlash, because our country is so stupidly politically correct and scared to piss anyone off. This is not about trying to embarrass people by doing full-body pat downs at all. It is about protecting people on US soil. The fact that the airports have given people the option to opt-out of the virtual full-body screen for the full body pat down is ridiculous. There should be no opting out. If you want to fly, you should be willing to do what is necessary to make sure that you, your family and others are as safe as possible. What do you think?